Former Yale swimmer Siphiwe Baleka is transforming truck driver wellness one rest stop at a time, and in the process, he’s finding himself.
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Whatever your passion of choice, when your highest level dreams are left unattained, you lose a bit of yourself in the process. The part that struggled for so long, spent so many hours toiling for perfection, and emoted every last feeling on the spectrum in pursuit of that dream now halts completely.
When you face a situation like Siphiwe Baleka did, it’s not as simple as saying, “Pick yourself up. Dust yourself off. Get over it, and move on.” Some may criticize him for his original departure from Yale and his years of meandering the world. Some even likely believe he was reverting to a child-like “sour grapes” mentality. “Look at the privileged Ivy League boy still upset about a swimming race.” Those are likely the same people who have never experienced such a loss of identity.
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I am not and never was an Olympic hopeful. A modestly decent runner? Sure. Nevertheless, my identity was built on athletics. From an early age, that is what garnered me attention, made me feel adequate, and allowed me to build relationships. My fitness and my ability to run became who I was.
It’s a process that begins in the lone and silent sanctuary of your own soul, but if done correctly, can return you to a place where you not only rediscover yourself but help others perhaps rediscover themselves as well.
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When my running career was torn from my life due to several injuries necessitating multiple surgeries over multiple years, I lost who I was. That was 2005. Ten years later, I have slowly rediscovered my running, in an altered way, but I still haven’t found myself. While I may not be meandering the globe, I still don’t have a firm sense of who I am outside my athletic self.
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The fact that Siphiwe returned to the States, found an occupation that fit his nature, and can now embed his athletic passion with his current situation is a lesson in courage. It’s also a lesson that finding oneself after deep disappointment is a lengthy process, with miles upon miles between each step. It’s a process that begins in the lone and silent sanctuary of your own soul, but if done correctly, can return you to a place where you not only rediscover yourself but help others perhaps rediscover themselves as well.
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Image credit: Changing Lanes: Fitness Trucking